The fall color of our blueberry bushes is a nice surprise!

 

The bulbs I had ordered in early September arrived in November:  

100 Crocus flavus 'Golden Yellow'

500 Tulip clusiana 'Cynthia'

225 Ipheion uniforum 'Wisley Blue'

Crocus flavus 'Golden Yellow'

Tulip clusiana 'Cynthia'

Ipheion uniflorum 'Wisley Blue'

The crocus and tulips were added to areas in our front yard where we already had some planted.  The ipheion will be dotted around on all three properties.  My hope is that all of these will naturalize ... if the critters don't dig them up first!!

The brown crispy leaves of Magnolia macrophylla (Big Leaf Magnolia) are a special fall treat for our bunnies.  

Peppercorn (left) and Butter (right) live outside in the garden in what Tom refers to as the "Taj ma Hutch"

  

Parsley is our indoor bunny who lives in our sunroom.  We didn't expect to have an indoor bunny, but after losing her mate (Basil), Parsley just would not accept another bunny (and we tried several) even though we went by the book in making introductions.    She would chase them, pull out their hair, and just terrorize them.  Parsley just wasn't interested in anyone except her Basil (which is kind of sweet actually).  So-o-o, we brought Parsley in the house where she is Queen Bee.   She likes to sit with Tom and watch Carolina and NC State football and basketball.

I have been busy cleaning up the garden and cutting back peonies, asters, salvia, angel trumpets, elephant ears, and various other perennials.  Next, I'll give them a good covering of leaves and put them to bed for the winter.  Good night and sweet dreams!

 

I was just reading that freezing temperatures don't do much in altering the slug population ...  I was so in hopes!  The slugs were unusually busy in our garden this spring.   I am definitely aware of how much they enjoy the tender shoots of hostas, but this year I was surprised that they seemed to enjoy the heuchera leaves (as well as many others!)

The Coreopsis verticillata 'Zagreb' with its bright yellow daisy-like blooms is doing well along the street in the upper garden.

 

 

 This Davallia fejeensis (Rabbit's Foot fern) has taken over the strawberry jar it was originally planted in.  It's another one of my patio plants which comes inside to our sunroom during the winter.  

 This is one of my tropicals, Medinilla myriantha (Malaysian Orchid) which lives on our patio during the summer.  I have just taken it into the garage for the winter.

One of the most interesting things about this Thuja orientalis 'Weedom' is the immature cones that appear in late summer.  Unfortunately, they eventually turn brown and are decidedly less attractive.  Tom usually knocks them off the tree while doing his winter cleanup.

 Tom took Vinnie Simeone from Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay, NY to visit Greg Paige at Bartlett Arboretum and Gardens in September.  Vinnie and Greg had a great time talking about obscure flora from all over the world.  We are so lucky to have the Bartlett facility nearby doing research that is shared with the landscape industry internationally.

Greg came to visit MapleWalk this summer and brought some plants to share.  One being a Camellia sasanqua 'Old Glory' which we did not have.  We are always anxious to add to our camellia collection in the garden.  'Old Glory' was loaded with buds, and was a joy when she bloomed this fall.

 Ilex verticillata "Winter Gold' (Winterberry) in the garden this fall with its pretty orange-yellow berries.  'Winter Gold' is the female cultivar which needs a male pollinator to produce the berries.  We planted 'Southern Gentleman' as its "boyfriend."